Mission J

“Ya,” he hissed, his eyes narrowing.

I clicked my tongue against my teeth, returning his glare with my own annoyance.
“Nice to see you too.” I muttered through my teeth. I glanced down at the grip he had on my arm and raised an eyebrow. “Ow?”

“I thought I told you to not run around causing trouble,” he said lowly, looking around the lobby cautiously as if to be looking for the ‘troubles’ I may have caused. How irritating.

“Alright, first of all you said you didn’t want me running around causing trouble. You never gave a command.” I retorted. “And secondly, I didn’t run. I took the elevator.”

Superstar’s expression grew darker. Ooh, scary.
“Cut it with the attitude. This is my workplace and I don’t need to you do anything compromising.” he growled at me.

I didn’t need to look around to feel eyes on us. Dammit, so much for discretion. I need to deal with this, fast.

I let out a soft laugh as I turned fully towards him and placed my left hand on the wrist of the hand that had a grip on my arm.
“You are ever the charmer, Jae-Sung,” I spoke clearly, at a natural volume.
He blinked at me, evidently startled at my odd response. I gave him a solid gaze, silently commanding him to play along.
“I’m glad you found me; that is rather urgent. But I think it is best we discussed it privately with President Chung in his office.” I continued, pressing my thumb into his palm discretely to ‘gently’ loosen his grip. I smiled up at him in a professional, polite manner and waited tensely for him to respond. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long.

Superstar glanced to the side once, very briefly and subtly that only I would’ve noticed. And then he broke into a charming grin.
“I’m surprised to see you here, K. It really has been too long.” he said, in a naturally warm voice that would fool anyone else. There was not a hint of anger in his tone, though I knew it was there along with the hidden meaning in his words. Was there a sense of challenge in his kind gaze?

I kept my polite smile pasted on my face, hiding the surprise of him picking up so quickly.

“Yes, far too long.” I agreed. “We really need to catch up. But first, the agenda. President Chung just got called over to the studios so he won’t be in his office. Shall we schedule a meeting for tomorrow?”

To this Superstar shrugged.
“Nah, that doesn’t matter,” he said, lightly dismissive. “I’ll just wait in his office for him.”
He surprised me further when he suddenly returned my grip by taking my hand.
“Come with me. We can catch up during the wait.” he said.
I was about to reply but he turned his body around to come stand on my left, my left arm tucked between his side and right arm.
“I insist.” he said.

I raised an eyebrow at him, taking in the situation. From the outside, it may seem like the famous celebrity talking up a lady, their banter pleasant and charming. From my standpoint, I was an animal caught in a bear trap, and his words held a secret threat. And on top of it, he was steering his conversation his way.

Well played, Seo. Well played.

I glanced down at my left hand resting on his forearm and back at his smiling face. He looked at me expectantly, his gaze boldly unmoving. It was a challenge.
I gave him a shy smile, but returned his steady gaze evenly.
“Because you insist.” I said, curling my fingers lightly around the crook of his arm. After a quick thought, I glanced back at the front desk. I ignored the two gaping faces that stared at us in disbelief and spoke. “Tell Yumi we’re heading up and when President Chung comes by, let him know we’re waiting.” I said before turning back.

Seo Jae-Sung just smiled as he led the way to the elevators.
“So, where have you been?” he asked in a pleasant tone.

I wonder if he was really asking.
“I’ve been around. Working.” I replied.

The elevator door opened, letting a few people out. We slipped in, just as the door was starting to close. Superstar hit the top floor button and the button to close the door before anyone else could step in. The moment the door closed, the mood changed.

Neither of us spoke or moved, and the tension that seemed to be the theme of the morning came back to choke the small space of air. Is he going to throw a fit? Maybe he was waiting until we got off the elevator. Just how angry was he? I glanced to my left and up at my client.
Seo Jae-Sung stared ahead, making no indication or attempt of speaking up. But his jaw was taut and his eyes were hard as steel.

…Yup, he was pissed.

I let out a slow, aggravated sigh under my breath and loosened my hold on his arm. To that I was met with an immediate reaction as he grabbed the hand.
“What are you doing?” he demanded, all previous pretenses gone.

I raised an eyebrow at him, questioning his defensiveness.
“I’m taking back my hand.” I said flatly.

Seo Jae-Sung’s eyes narrowed.
“Just don’t move.” he grouched.
He released my hand but didn’t make any motion to shrug my hand off. I didn’t know what he wanted exactly so kept my loose hold on his rigidly positioned arm. It was probably best not to push him.

The elevator ride to the eleventh floor was far too long in my opinion. When the doors finally opened, Seo Jae-Sung sent a nasty glare my way before stomping off, leaving me behind. I didn’t even bother with giving it much thought as I stepped out after him at my own pace. Superstar didn’t even glance at the secretary as he stormed right through, only stopping to knock on President’s door twice before entering. I half expected him to slam the door shut but he didn’t. But now what did he want me to do?
I inhaled slowly and glanced over at Yumi. She was standing behind her desk, glancing quizzically from her boss’s door to me. I grimaced.
“Choesonghaminida,” I apologized, glancing pointedly to the door. “For that.”

The secretary nodded once, looking slightly hesitant.
“Anieyo,” she replied. “The girl at the front desk called up earlier so I knew you were heading up here.”
The tone of her voice was soft, almost timid, and though her pronunciation was fine, from her unsure hesitant way of speaking hinted that she wasn’t a native speaker of Korean. Now that I thought about it, Yumi wasn’t a common name for Korean girls. If I’m guessing right, she is---
“President Chung should be back in about fifteen minutes.” she informed me.

I nodded.
“Yumi, right?” I asked.
The secretary nodded and though she stayed composed, I saw a hint of surprise in her expression.
“President Chung called me by your name earlier when I brought him his coffee.” I explained.

Yumi raised her eyebrows at that info but then smiled, showing the first real expression I’ve seen from her.
“Ah, it must be because I always bring in his coffee to him.” she said. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Ms. K. President has spoken of you greatly on number of occasions.”

This time I was the one raising my eyebrows.
“Really, has he now,” I said.
This wasn’t exactly a good thing; words could travel fast about my whereabouts. And with my job, that could turn into something troublesome if sniffed out by the wrong people.

But then Yumi went on, as if she read my distaste in my tone.
“Oh, but he had stressed the point of refraining from sharing anything he tells me of you.” she reassured me. “I understand that it’s important for your job.”
To that I responded with an immediate small smile.
“Ah, kamsamnida. I appreciate your consideration.” I thanked her. I paused slightly before I went on. “I was just curious but by chance could it be that---”

“Yah! You! Get in here!”

I grimaced at Superstar’s yelling from the office and fought the urge to roll my eyes.
“Excuse me, I’m being summoned.” I sighed.
Yumi gave me what seemed to be a sympathetic look as she nodded. I gave her a small smile before turning around and into President Chung’s office. I didn’t bother with knocking as I turned the doorknob and pushed myself into the gigantic office. My eyes immediately found the actor standing with his back toward me in front of the windows with his hands shoved into his pants pockets. He didn’t make any motion as I closed the door behind me and headed over to where he was standing.
The sky was now almost completely bright and with that I guessed it was now a little past 7:00 AM. Not that it mattered; I didn’t have any time-sensitive agenda at the moment. But wasn’t this actor supposedly on a deathly tight schedule?
I came to a stop just about five feet behind Seo, waiting for him to do something. He called me in here after all. He must have something to say to me.

Seo Jae-Sung grumbled unhappily to himself, shifting irritably on his feet. He clicked his tongue in an aggravated sound and started to turn.
“What the hell...yah!---” he started. He saw me and practically jumped.
“AH!” he yelled.
I winced at the sudden outburst by the guy and scowled.
“What,” I demanded. “Why are you so surprised? You called me in here, didn’t you?”
Seo Jae-Sung stared at me wide eyed, one hand dramatically over his heart and the other comically held in a rigid guard as if he was going to karate-chop at me.
“I—I didn’t hear you…when did you, and how…” he spoke shakily.
I inhaled slowly and out before I replied.
“I walked.” I said flatly. “Now what did you want?”
Superstar breathed in deeply, recollecting his composure.
“Nothing.” he muttered, brushing roughly past me. “I just didn’t want you to cause the secretary any problems.”

I stiffened, annoyance kicking in my gut. Oh, I have half a mind to punch him in the throat right now.

I breathed in silently, allowing myself a quick moment to compose myself before turning around. Superstar dropped himself down onto one of the lush seats of the luxurious grey leather couches facing the window. He let out a long sigh, stretching his arms over the back of the seats.
“So, where did you run off to?” he asked, his voice casual and a tad bit superior. “If there’s anything I need to apologize for my incompetent bodyguard, I think I should hear about it now.”
I resisted the urge to sneer back at him, though just barely.
“I told you I was working.” I told him, glancing briefly out the window.
Superstar scoffed, shaking his head.
“Yea, right. By disappearing.” he said dryly. “You know, I don’t think you get what bodyguards do.”
“My job is to keep you safe.” I replied smoothly. “From what I understand, this building’s security system is very sound. You’re as safe as you’re going to get.”
Seo Jae-Sung gave me a funny look, leaning back in his seat on the couch.
“And what would you know about this agency’s security?” he said. The question sounded rhetorical but I answered anyway.
“I know everything I need to know about this building’s security. I make it my business to know for every building I set foot in.” I said as-matter-of-factly. To this I got a snort in reply.
“Arasso. That’s just great.” he returned sarcastically. “What is that, some sort of skill you’re proud of?”
I shrugged lightly, genuinely uninterested in his verbal jabs.
“There’s nothing to be proud of; it’s more so a force of habit.” I replied.

Seo Jae-Sung gave me another funny look before he inhaled deeply and sighed. He didn’t say anything else, allowing the silence to fill the air between us. I was more than happy to keep it up. Talking to this guy was much too exhausting.
I crossed my arms over my ribs and shifted my weight to the side, getting comfortable. Yumi had said fifteen minutes until President comes back, he should be here in about ten more minutes…

“Sit down.”

My eyes flickered back to Superstar, who was looking at me. He nodded pointedly at the seat across from him.
“Just sit.” he said again. “It will be too distracting to have you just stand around like that.”
I didn’t argue or protest as I made my way around the side and sat down on the other side of the coffee table. The couch was a little too soft for my own personal taste, but I kept this to myself. I just settled on the seat, propped my elbows on my knees and folded my fingers together. Silence came over us again, but so was the tension. My mind drifted back to President Chung’s request on talking Seo Jae-Sung out of getting a different bodyguard, or making a wholly different arrangement.

President Chung has made a point of reminding me that he wants me to do this job because he thought I would work best for the actor, and that I would be the best one to protect him. But for what? Was it really just from this one murderous stalker? Did I really fit the needs of this job?
The only thing I knew with certainty was that while I questioned my involvement in this case, I wasn’t going to be able to convince Seo that I could protect him. But I did promise that I will try working it out with the current arrangements for the next few days. One day at a time, one thing at a time.
I gave myself a moment to gather my words before I spoke.

“I really was working earlier.” I said. I paused only for a moment to make sure he was listening before I continued. “I met with President Chung to talk about what exactly I’m working with.”
Seo regarded me with a bemused look, and though he stayed quiet he looked to be curious about the subject. Seeing no harm, I unzipped my jacket and reached into the inner pockets for the folded orange document envelope the President has given me.
“Though it’s not much, he did give me this.” I said.
“What is it?” he asked, eyeing the envelope.
“It’s a worker’s witness statement from the day the package was discovered among your fan mail.” I replied honestly. I set the envelope down on the coffee table before me. “He was the one that opened it.”
I noticed the actor stiffening in his seat and the stunned expression slipped through his composed mask.
“The package,” he echoed. He stayed quiet for a few moments, shifting slightly in his seat before he spoke again. “You know about the package.”
It wasn’t exactly a question, but I replied as it was anyway.
“And what was inside it, yes.” I told him.
Seo Jae-Sung’s face twisted further, and I recognized a perplexed look. He turned his eyes down to the coffee table, his lips pressed together in a hard line and his fingers curled into a fist. He stayed quiet in this tense manner and didn’t move. Unsure of how to read this reaction, I went on.
“This doesn’t give me a lot, but it’s a good place to start. I plan on meeting up with the detectives on this case after this.”
The actor looked up at me, his expression still seemingly disturbed.
“Why?” he asked, his tone flat and hollow.
I frowned. Was it me, or was this a weird question?
“Why,” I echoed questioningly.
“Why go meet the detectives? What do they have to do with your job?” he asked, still in the cold tone.
I didn’t take too much time considering what he was asking.
“I’m just doing my job.” I replied. Clearly, it wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. An angry expression broke through the disturbed one as he shook his head.
“No, your job is to keep me safe. What you’re doing is…” Seo stopped mid-yelling, almost as if to bite his tongue. He regained some composure before he went on. “I want to know why you’re doing all of this.”
I didn’t reply; I didn’t exactly know what he wanted to hear from me. The actor scoffed, looking up again but not at me.
“I can guess at the reason. Why even bother?” he muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. “So you can dig up all the good details out, right?”

I was a bit thrown off by this unexpected edge that he suddenly had. What did I say wrong?
Not having an answer, I just sat still and watched as Seo lifted his back off the couch and sat up straight. His posture was rigid, his expression tense in forced composure as he glared down at the document envelope on the coffee table. He was upset…but why?
Why, why, why… I should be asking that question. It had to be something I had revealed, but none of the information was compromising in any way. So why…

Seo Jae-Sung closed his eyes and inhaled quietly, held his breath for a few seconds before letting it out. He opened his eyes and lifted his gaze to me.
What he said next surprised me further.

“Go ahead.” he said, smiling his charming smile. “Dig all you want. I’ll let you.”